Laundry folding machine with low speed and high speed fold timer motors



Oct. 19, 1965 R. H. KERMAN ETAL 3,212,771

LAUNDRY FOLDING MACHINE WITH LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED FOLD TIMER MOTORSFiled Nov. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T0 FIRST FOLD OONTROL Fig-IINVENTORS ROBERT H. KERMAN DONALD L- ROPP ATTORNEYS Mia M Oct. 19, 1965Filed Nov. 4, 1963 R. H. KERMAN ETAL 3,212,771 LAUNDRY FOLDING MACHINEWITH Low SPEED AND HIGH SPEED FOLD TIMER MOTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 T F ig. 3

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,212,771 LAUNDRY FOLDING MACHINE WITHLOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED FOLD TIMER MOTORS Robert H. Kerman, EastMoliue, and Donald L. Ropp, Colona, Ill., assignors to Ametek, Inc, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 4, 1963, Ser. No.321,698 Claims. (Cl. 270-69) This invention relates to folders and moreparticularly it relates to a folder control system and the timing andmeasuring device therein.

In the laundry field, folders are used for folding sheets or other flatlaundry articles wherein the sheets are fed to a series of conveyors.During the passage they pass over detection switches which measure thelength of the sheets or other article and cause it to be folded in apredetermined position. Generally the position of folding is broughtabout by a control system in which there is a timing and measuringdevice that measures the length of a sheet by timing the length of itspassage past a measuring position. The device will relate the articlesize to the time necessary to deliver the sheet at :a point in themachine at which a fold is desired. This has been done by using highspeed and low speed motors to drive a cam shaft through slip clutches.(See US. Patent 2,774,592.)

The relationship of the two speeds of the motors determines the foldpoint of the laundry article so that should there be a full speed and aone-half speed motor, the laundry article will be folded at one-hialf ofits length. This is accomplished by first using the one-half speed motoroperation to measure the length of the article and then switching to thehigh speed motor operation which runs for the predetermined time periodto cause the sheet to be properly placed in a fold position, whereuponthe folding mechanism is actuated at the end of that time period.Complicated motor arrangements of this type which include clutches,external gear trains, and the like, have the problem that they tend tocollect lint and dirt on the exposed gear trains which may result inhigh maintenance costs and more importantly in folding errors.

The further problem with electrical timers of this type may be that theydo not stop at the precise time in order to cause the fold to occur in adesired position. Part of this may be because the motor current isbroken on a halfwave and if on the wrong half, as much as of a secondcould be lost to cause undesirable folding errors.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a timing andmeasuring device which will provide a more compact low maintenance motorarrangement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a more compactmotor arrangement and circuit which will cause a more precisepositioning of the motor at the moment of stopping.

Accordingly, in one aspect of this invention, there 1s a control systemfor an article folder in which a timing and measuring device runs at onepredetermined speed proportional to that the conveyor during the timethat the article length is being measured and at a second higher speedafter the measurement to this instant of folding. There is arranged inthe system a pair of motors driving a common shaft in tandem. One of themotors drives the shaft at the low speed and the second motor drives theshaft at the higher speed, such being a proportional multiple of the lowspeed motor. Associated with the timer, there is switch means whichcauses the operating current to the high speed motor to be broken at thepredetermined time that folding occurs.

The timing and measuring device of the invention has a single shaft withtwo cams (at longitudinally spaced positions. A folder operating switchis operated by one of ice the cams and a second switch is operated bythe second of said cams, the second switch being connected to thearticle sensing means to control operation of the low and high speedmotors. A two speed motor or drive means is arranged to directly drivethe shaft, with the drive means having two motors. One of said motorsoperates the shaft at a low speed and the other at a higher andproportionally multiple speed of the lower speed motor. Means areprovided for operating the lower speed motor to measure the length ofthe article and automatically cease while activating the high speedmotor after measurement has occurred. The high speed motor is connectedso that the switch operated by the second cam will open at a positiveposition of the second cam and cause the timer to stop whereby duringthe rotation of the timer and measurer mechanism, the first cam willcause the folder to operate at a predetermined position.

Additionally, the invention provides a rectifier means in the motorcircuits to brake said drive means and a means for activating therectifiers upon the interruption of the operating current to the motor.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following descriptions and drawings which aremerely exemplary.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an article folder to whichthe invention may be applied;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the timer and measuring mechanismof the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a control system according to theinvention which is shown for use in the folding apparatus of FIG. 1.

A laundry article or the like, to be folded, is shown as Sheet A fortransportation on an endless belt 10 after it has passed through aprevious machine, such as an ironer. Belt 10 may be of the conventionalribbon type. Sheet A is received by a second endless belt 11 where it iscarried past a sheet measuring or sensing switch 30. Belt 12 cooperateswith belt 11 to guide the sheet in its movement past the first measuringstation 36. As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the sensingswitch 30 causes a measuring and timing mechanism in the control systemto begin to operate so that a pulse or signal is sent to an air blast orfolding mechanism 13 at a pre determined time so as to move a portion ofthe sheet sidewise and cause it to be grasped between the rolls offolding mechanism 14. The folding mechanism may be any one of the typethat is capable of forcing sheets between oppositely rotating rolls.

The once folded sheet is then carried on an endless belt 15 where it isgrasped between it and the endless belt 16, such serving as a secondconveyor means in the folding machine for carrying the sheet to thesecond folding means. A second sensing switch may be activated by thesheet as it passes thereover so as to ultimately provide a pulse to asecond folding device 17 at the proper time. The sheet will be blown ormoved sidewise so as to be grasped between the folding machine rolls 18whereupon endless belt 19 removes the folded sheet and delivers it to adelivery table or suitable point 20. Alternatively, the folding device17 may be bypassed and the sheet could then be dropped on an endlessbelt 20 and delivered to table 22.

For a complete description of a typical folder and control system seePatent No. 2,652,246, 2,858,129 and 2,993,693.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a timing and measuring device 24 in which thereis a two speed driving arrangement with a common output shaft 25 andwhich there are ar ranged two longitudinally spaced cams 26 and 27.Folder cam 27 is arranged to operate the folding mechanism 13 and timermotor stop cam 26 is arrangedto cause the motor to stop operating. Themotor driving device 24 may be arranged with a high speed motor 28 and alow speed motor 29 connected in tandem to shaft 25, both of which arearranged to directly drive the shaft 25 in a manner describedhereinafter. The periphery of the cams 26 and 27 and the speed of themotors are selected so as to bear a definite relationship to the speedof the endless belts 10, 12, 16, 19 and 21 so that in one revolutionthereof, the sheet A will have passed to a point where it will be inposition to be folded at the proper position of its length. Thisoperation will be described more completely hereinafter. Each of thecams has a notch or indentation 26A, 27A on its periphery activating thefollowers for switches 42 and 52.

The electrical circuit diagram for the control system of the folderfound in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 3. As the sheet A passes along theendless belt means 12, it passes over the measuring switch 30 and hits ameasuring finger thereof causing the normally closed switch to contact39 to open and close on contact 31, resulting in electrical energyflowing through lead 32 and sequence switch 33 through the one-halfspeed motor 29 of timer drive 24 (FIG. 2). The shaft 25 will then beginto rotate at one-half speed relative to the full speed motor 28.

Simultaneously as the switch 30 is closed on contact 31, line 40 isde-energized and control relay CR1 is de-energized to permit reclosingenergized open relay contact CRlA and to bypass relay contact CRIB andrectifier 35 to sequence motor 36. The sequence motor will then runthrough the stop switch 37 for one quarter of a turn. The sequence motoris of the type shown in Patent 2,- 858,129 and will not be furtherillustrated here except to say that the motor is arranged so that afterit runs one-quarter of a turn, it will stop automatically moving switchblade 37 to contact 33. The motor will stop and remain stopped untilafter sheet A is measured and switch 30 returned to its closed position.The time for the one-quarter of a turn is made less than the time ittakes for the sheet A that is being measured to pass the measuringstation 30.

After sheet A has its trailing edge leave the measuring station 30, theswitch will return to its contact 39, thus allowing power to flowthrough line 49 and through switch 37 from contact 38 into the sequencemotor where it will again run for one-quarter of a turn and stop. At themoment that the sequence motor stops, switch 33 is caused to move tocontact 33a which is in the line with half-speed motor 49 of the secondtier and switch 37 is removed from contact 38 to allow rectifier 35 tosend a braking current into the motor 36 where CRIB is closed.

When the first fold measuring means 39 again moves to contact 39, thepower also fiows through control relay CR1 which opens control relayCRlA and closes control relay CRIB contact to allow the rectifier 35 toput a braking current into the sequence motor 36 when it has stopped itssecond one-quarter revolution and switch 37 has been opened relative tocontact 38.

Further, as control relay CR1 is energized after the sheet has beenmeasured, CR1 causes contacts CRllC of relay CR1 to close, thusenergizing the full speed motor 29. The full speed motor will thencontinue to run until cam 26 has its indentation 26A operate the motorstop switch 42 to move it from 42B so that switch 42 is again connectedto line 44 to place a braking current from rectifier 46 on the halfspeed motor 28. Simultaneously upon the movement of switch 42, a brakingaction is also supplied to the full speed motor 29 bypassed when switch42 was closed on contact 42B. As the motors 28 and 29 are both connectedto the same shaft, the braking currents from the two rectifiers 45 and46 cause a braking action on adjacent half-cycles of the AC. that willassure the positive stopping of the motor and the resultant cams at thedesired position.

To allow a second sheet that is closely following sheet A to be measuredand folded the sequence operation comes into operation. Sequence switch47 is placed in its upper contact position 48 by the sequence motorafter it has run its second one-quarter turn as described above. Thesequence switch 47 acts as a hold for future operation. For moredetailed explanation of a typical sequence system and its method ofoperation, see Patent 2,858,129.

As the high speed motor 29 rotates the shaft 25 and the cams 26 and 27,the notch 27A in cam 27 will actuate switch 52 whereupon a pulse will besent to the folding means 13 and the sheet A will thereupon be folded ata predetermined position. The duration of the energization of thesolenoid that operates the first fold device 13 is determined by thelength of the notch 27A in the cam 27.

If after sheet A has passed through the sensing means, there is a secondsheet following it shortly thereafter, the half speed motor 49 in tier 2of a motor drive similar to drive 24 will be energized upon the breakingof contact switch 30 with contact 39, the current then flowing throughline 32 through switch 33 contact 33a and through a second one-halfspeed motor 49. When this is done, the sequence motor 36 will run itsone-quarter turn, cause switch 37 to be repositioned to 38 ready to berun again as described above with reference to tier 1. Upon the initialoperation of half speed motor 49 in the second tier, switch 42A will bepositioned to bypass the rectifier 60 in line 61 to full speed motor 51of the second tier, thus readying it for operation when the sheet ismeasured. When the second sheet has been measured and contact has againbeen made by the switch 30 with contact 39, switch 33 will again be inposition to operate half speed motor 28 of the first tier.

Relay CR1 will close contacts CRlD, to allow current to flow throughline 61 and operate the full speed motor 51 of tier 2 until cam 26 makesits full rotation and a detent corresponding to detent 26A repositionsswitch 42a of the second tier. When it does, current will flow throughhalf speed motor 49 from the rectifier 62 to brake it while rectifier 60puts a braking current into high speed motor 51. Meanwhile, the solenoidfold switch 52A has been caused to operate by the action of a camcorresponding to cam 27 of the first tier.

The operation of the second fold control for the folder 17 of FIG. 1 isthe same as that of folder 13, just described, where it is actuated bycontrol switch 130. Accordingly, each of the switches, relays and motorand circuits have been given the same numbers as given to those for thefirst fold control with the prefix of 100. The description above canthen be directly applied to the second fold control with the meresubstitution of the series numbers for those of the first fold control.

It should be apparent that modifications may be made in the constructionand arrangement described Without departing from the spirit of theinvention, except as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

ll. In a textile sheet folding machine, or the like, having conveyingmeans extending therethrough for carrying sheets of varying lengthsalong a path through said machine, said machine having folding meansadjacent said path, and having a source of electric power, thecombination including sensing means responsive to the passage of sheetsin said path, timing and measuring means including a single shaft means,a low speed motor connected to said shaft means, a high speed motorconnected to said shaft means to operate the shaft means at a higherproportionally multiple speed relative to said low speed motor, foldingcam means connected to said shaft means to operate said folding means ata predetermined time, motor control cam means mounted on said shaftmeans, circuit means connecting said low speed motor to said sensingmeans and the source of power during passage of a sheet past saidsensing means, and circuit means con;

meeting said high speed motor to said source of power after the sheethas passed the sensing means and until it reaches the desired positionin relation to said folding means and said folding means has beenoperated, said folding cam means actuating said folding means at apositive position of said shaft means so that said folding action willbe accurately timed.

2. In a textile sheet folding machine, or the like, having conveyingmeans extending therethrough for carrying sheets of varying lengthsalong a path through said machine, said machine having folding meansadjacent said path, and having a source of electric power, thecombination including a sensing means responsive to the passage ofsheets in said path, timing and measuring means including a single shaftmeans, a low speed motor connected to said shaft means, a high speedmotor connected to said shaft means to operate the shaft means at ahigher proportionally multiple speed relative to said low speed motor,folding cam means connected to said shaft means to operate said foldingmeans at a predetermined time, motor control cam means mounted on saidshaft means, circuit means connecting said low speed motor to saidsensing means and the source of power during passage of a sheet pastsaid sensing means, circuit means connecting said high speed motor tosaid source of power after the sheet has passed the sensing means anduntil it reaches the desired position in relation to said folding meansand said folding means has been operated, and means applying an electricbraking force to at least one of said motor means after operation ofsaid motor control cam means to remove operating electric power fromsaid high speed motor.

3. In a textile sheet folding machine, or the like, having conveyingmeans extending therethrough for carrying sheets of varying lengthsalong a path through said machine, said machine having folding meansadjacent said path, and having a source of electric power, thecombination including a sensing means responsive to the passage ofsheets in said path, timing and measuring means including a single shaftmeans, a low speed motor connected to said shaft means, a high speedmotor connected to said shaft means to operate the shaft means at ahigher proportionally multiple speed relative to said low speed motor,folding cam means connected to said shaft means to operate said foldingmeans at a predetermined time, motor control cam means mounted on saidshaft means, circuit means connecting said low speed motor to saidsensing means and the source of power during passage of a sheet pastsaid sensing means, circuit means connecting said high speed motor tosaid source of power after the sheet has passed the sensing means anduntil it reaches the desired position in relation to said folding meansand said folding means has been operated, rectifier means in brakingcircuit means connected to said low speed motor means operable in one ofthe half-wave cycles of power applied thereto, and rectifier means inbraking circuit means to said high speed motor means operable in theother half-wave cycle of power, and means energizing said brakingcircuit means after the folding means has been actuated and operatingelectric power has been removed from said high speed motor means, sothat said shaft means will be positively stopped in a predeterminedposition after each operation.

4. A timing and measuring means for a textile sheet folder, or the like,including a folding means comprising a sensing device responsive topassage of articles thereby, a single shaft means, a low speed motorconnected to said shaft means, a high speed motor connected to saidshaft means to operate the shaft means at a higher proportionallymultiple speed relative to said low speed motor, folding cam meansmounted on said shaft means, said folding cam means having a foldingdevice switch operated thereby at a predetermined position, said foldingdevice switch being connected to said folding means, a motor control cammeans mounted on said shaft means and having a motor control switchmeans operated thereby, and circuit means connected to said motorcontrol switch means for maintaining energization of said high speedmotor after said sensing means has been actuated and until said foldingmeans has been actuated.

5. A timing and measuring means for a textile sheet folder, or the like,including a folding means comprising a sensing device responsive topassage of articles thereby, a single shaft means, a low speed motorconnected to said shaft means, a high speed motor connected to saidshaft means to operate the shaft means at a higher proportionallymultiple speed relative to said low speed motor, folding cam meansmounted on said shaft means, said folding cam means having a foldingdevice switch operated thereby at a predetermined position, said foldingdevice switch being connected to said folding means, a motor control cammeans mounted on said shaft means and having a motor control switchmeans operated thereby, circuit means connected to said motor controlswitch means for maintaining energization of said high speed motor aftersaid sensing means has been actuated and until said folding means hasbeen actuated, a rectifier means in each of the circuits to the lowspeed motor and the high speed motor, said rectifier means beingconnected in opposite directions, and means to energize said receifiermeans so as to apply braking energy to said motor means on everyhalf-cycle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,087 4/54Willmott 318212 2,834,595 5/58 Gilchrist 27081 2,847,763 8/58 Thomas318212 2,858,129 10/58 Buss 27081 2,922,097 1/60 Chouhury 318212 EUGENER. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A TEXTILE SHEET FOLDING MACHINE, OR THE LIKE, HAVING CONVEYINGMEANS EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FOR CARRYING SHEETS OF VARYING LENGTHSALONG A PATH THROUGH SAID MACHINE, SAID MACHINE HAVING FOLDING MEANSADJACENT SAID PATH, AND HAVING A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC POWER, THECOMBINATION INCLUDING SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PASSAGE OF SHEETSIN SAID PATH, TIMING AND MEASURING MEANS INCLUDING A SINGLE SHAFT MEANS,A LOW SPEED MOTOR CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT MEANS, A HIGH SPEED MOTORCONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT MEANS TO OPERATE THE SHAFT MEANS AT A HIGHERPROPORTIONALLY MULTIPLE SPEED RELATIVE TO SAID LOW SPEED MOTOR, FOLDINGCAM MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT MEANS TO OPERATE SAID FOLDING MEANS ATA PREDETERMINED TIME,